“Idiot” Lights on Your Dashboard
March 2, 2010 by cdow
I came across this article highlighting dashboard lights as ‘Idiot’ lights, and realized how dumb that these dashboard indicators really are. Back in the day, dashboards had analog gauges which told you if something was wrong with your car. Now, all we have is a bunch of different lights that mean absolutely nothing to us. Whenever we see one, we freak out and have to look up what it means in the manual, because it is nearly impossible to memorize every indicator and their meaning. Even though they are less expensive than gauges, they are definitely more confusing to the driver. Here is a brief explanation of some of the “idiot lights” that you may not be familiar with:
Low Oil light indicates the oil has stopped circulating. You should pull over immediately and turn off the engine, check the oil level, and have the vehicle towed to a shop for diagnosis.
Engine Temperature light is often on the dashboard with an engine temperature gauge, if it enters the red zone, your engine is too hot. You should pull over and if steam is coming from under the hood, or antifreeze is leaking, something is not right. Take your car into a shop to be looked at.
Charging System light indicates that your battery is not charged. You should drive it directly to a shop with the limited life that the battery has left. Turn off as many electrical accessories in your car as possible, and don’t turn it off once you get it on.
Low Tire Pressure light tells you when the pressure drops to 25% below the specified cold inflation pressure. If your tire is flat, you’ll have to change it with a spare, or if you think it is safe enough to drive, fill it to its specified pressure.
Brake light warns you when you are driving with your parking brake on OR if the brake fluid level is low. Have your brake system checked for a leak or other problems.
ABS lights warn you that your anti-lock brakes are not working. Have a technician check them.
Check Engine light indicates that the vehicle’s system has detected an issue. You may not notice any difference, but if you ignore it, you may damage your control system. Take the vehicle to a repair shop so they can check everything and pinpoint your problem.
Others Include:
Stability Control light indicates that the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is active. This becomes active when you are driving too fast for the traction, usually happens in extreme weather conditions. It is a warning that you must proceed with caution.
Supplement Restraint System light alerts you when the supplemental restraints have an issue. This includes airbags, seat-belt sensors, and seat sensors.
Maintenance light reminds you to take your car into the shop for its scheduled maintenance.
Washer Level light tells you that you’re low on windshield washer fluid. Get more and read the owner’s manual to find out where it goes.
Make sure you are familiar with these “idiot lights“, so that you can know when there is an actual problem with your car, and that you can fix it before anything drastic happens.
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